Click here to view this newsletter as a PDF.
Wow, so by the time I have this letter written, checked by the international office, and actually sent out to you all, I will almost be on my way back to Cameroon!! I can hardly believe I have been back in North America for most of a year or that I am once again deep in the depths of transitioning between continents. My current plan is to fly out June 6.
It has been a busy year, and this past few months have been no exception. When I wrote my last newsletter, my calendar looked like life would be slowing down considerably by the time I reached April. Wow, was I wrong! Theoretically, the final weeks or months before departing for the field are filled with preparations, packing, goodbyes, etc. That has been the case, but somehow most of that has been stuffed into what seem like ridiculously short weekends. In April, one of the teachers from the school in Kansas where I used to teach made the decision to not complete his contract, so I agreed to step in as a long-term substitute to get the seniors to graduation. Yikes! What a ride that has been! I am even in one of the classrooms where I used to teach and working to sort through the same shelves and cabinets I dealt with as I was preparing to leave for the field back in 2010. It has been quite overwhelming to be working full time in the classroom again while still trying to prepare for my departure. I have often found myself wondering exactly what God has in mind and what purpose He has me there to fulfill. Though I don’t feel like He has given me a single clear answer, He has repeatedly confirmed that this is where I am supposed to be during this time.
I am going to keep this letter short, but please know I covet your prayers more now than ever. Transition is difficult, no matter how ‘normal’ of a state it seems to be, and just thinking about how many things I need and/or want to get done in such a limited time can be overwhelming. And when you add the number of farewells . . . well . . . let’s just say overwhelming is perhaps an understatement.
I am still working to put together my smaller, personal prayer team – people who are willing to commit to join me on this journey in a more consistent and intimate way, so please pray for that. Pray that the few who have volunteered will be a great foundation and I/we will earnestly seek God’s will as we figure out exactly what this will look like.
Blessings to you all! I would love to hear from you about what is happening in your lives and to know how I can be praying for you as well.
Kristi (ktenclay@hotmail.com)